Berry78

It sounds like you could go with a sleeve if you and your doctor agree.

How long have you had/how severe is your diabetes? Do you currently have heartburn? What is your BMI?

I found fillet on sale at my grocer. About $5.00 each! And they are big, not those tiny medallions! We are eating well tonight!

I caught a few minutes of one episode. Patient was over a year out and had already lost like 200lbs, but needed to lose another 50 before getting some skin removed. Doc thought she could do it in 2 months, and everyone was disappointed when she "only" lost 8 in that time. It showed some of what she was eating, and it looked fine to me! Unrealistic expectations...

I think it means there is an area of stomach that is ballooned out from the rest of the stomach with a narrow opening. "Blind" means it doesn't go anywhere. This could be a problem if food goes into the extra pouch and doesn't come back out....it would ferment.

Strange thing. My first spinach salad (on my plan for 6 weeks out). I ate the salad and some chicken. Everything was fine, but about 30min later, I got the worst cravings. I was shoving more chicken into my face like I haven't done since surgery. The salad had an oil/vinegar dressing and some tomatoes. Maybe it was too acidic or something. Afraid of salad now

5/5 265lbs

So excited! I had some time to kill, so went into an athletic store I hadn't been in for a long time. They now have tons of compression wear. I actually found one men's large long-sleeve heat gear shirt. I was sad they had no xl, but decided to try it on anyway. IT FIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sooo excited!!!!! I need the long sleeves to hold my upper arm fat/skin

So funny!

I was allowed spices 3 days post op. Be careful because some can be hard on your tummy. Anything with chile pepper (even if it's not normally spicy to you) can cause problems early out.

Ok, so I'm 40/150 down. I've noticed my EARLOBES have lost weight! What surprises have you experienced?

I bet they'll fit!

Did anything else change in your life? Medication, job, family situation? Illness? Anything? Any chance you are pregnant? Did you introduce a new type of food, even a healthy one? Something has to have changed. Just need to dig... Good idea rte.. Thyroid problems... Very astute!

I'm 6.5 weeks out and generally get full on 3oz of food. At this point my surgeon wants me eating meals and moving away from the shakes. So I 'm wondering if you concentrate on eating instead of taking the shakes where you'll be. Shakes are filling and take up hours of the day. Experiment with not taking any shakes for a day or two and see where you're at. If you can't meet your protein goal, by all means, go back on the shakes. Be willing to experiment is all. Good luck!

Not sure about the joey in the pouch, but otherwise it's cool! Edited to add... kangaroo kebobs might be tasty! Lol.

Not sure about the joey in the pouch, but otherwise it's cool!

I've been a believer in compression wear as a guard against chaffing for a long time. Back in '99, my boyfriend and I went on a hike, and by the end of the day, he was raw to the point of bleeding. I researched the solution... compression underwear! I love how my leggings make me feel. Size wise, it's best just to try them on. They should fit firmly, but not be a struggle to put on or take off.

Just playing devil's advocate, would your surgeon go for a sleeve first, then finish the switch later if you needed it still? Granted, the revision isn't going to lose as much as the virgin procedure, but you could have a plan like.. if you start regaining and get to 30lbs that you'll do the revision then.

OMG, thanks for the belly laugh! I needed that! But, everything you say is true! I just read an article yesterday that said about 1/3 of female bariatric patients, and 2/3 of male patients don't even consume the RDA of protein. That # is something like 46g for women and 60g for men. I was dumbfounded, but maybe I shouldn't have been. A bariatric surgeon was speaking at a support group I attended. I mentioned I couldn't stomach the protein shakes the 2nd week out of surgery, but I got my 70g of protein in anyway. His jaw dropped and he exclaimed "HOW?!". So funny.. Liquid yogurt, milk, broth, kefir. (The kefir has 40 grams in a 16oz bottle). My vitamins also have 10g. No problemo! Of course if someone couldn't tolerate dairy, that is a whole different story. And yes, I did get plenty of carbs, but that early out I don't think it is a problem. The body is trying to heal, and it can't do that if it is starving. As my diet advances, I've been shifting the macros.

It is normal to not see much change (for quite a while) when we start out pretty heavy. Our eyes just aren't sensitive to "less fat". We just see "fat" and "fit". You'll really start seeing the difference when you get down to wearing clothes under size 20. (I started at size 24 and am size 20 now, but people can't tell except my face).

Drastic weight loss is a symptom of runaway diabetes. My brother in law had this happen. He was eating a ton, but he was losing tons of weight. He already knew he had diabetes but wasn't seeing the doctor. We told him he was losing weight because of the disease, but he didn't believe us! He was used to his insulin-dependent diabetic father gaining weight. My BIL developed neuropathy and had a stroke within a year. He is doing better, but he went from a strong, able bodied contractor to a dude that rides the cart in the grocery store. Why do diabetics lose weight? The cells refuse to accept the energy (sugar) from food. The cells are starving! So the body starts digging into its fat stores, trying to feed those cells. The sugar from food gets excreted in the urine, that's why they drink, pee, drink all the time.

Sorry to hear about the gallbladder.... definitely added insult to injury! This surgery creates a major emotional rollercoaster in most people. Sounds like you are partying in car 9. You will feel full when adding more solid meats to your diet. But if it is a gnawing type hunger, you might need more antacids. Did you have discussions with people prior to surgery about why you wanted the procedure? Maybe remembering those talks will help you now. The weight loss will come, but it isn't instant. The body has a ton of work to do carefully disassembling every cell. There is a mile of blood vessels in every pound of fat. Those have to get broken down as well. You are going to do great!

To be sure, I'm thrilled with my progress! And I truly don't care what she thinks. I guess I posted to find out if this is a common misconception about the surgery.. and I guess it is based on what Outside said. The idea that it takes a year or two to hit goal is a relief. It gives TIME to adjust my lifestyle and learn new habits. I'm already grossed out watching others eat (shoveling huge quantities of food in at a time).

Ok, so I was speaking to my MIL this morning. We live in the same house, so she sees me daily. She got to talking about an episode of My 600lb Life (which I don't watch). She mentioned how surprised she was that I was still heavy. (Mind you, I am 6 weeks post op and have lost a total of 40lbs.) She honestly believed I was going to lose 150lbs (goal) in 3 months......... ................. ................ *speechless* I reminded her that had I been on a regular diet for 8 weeks, I would have expected to lose 16lbs. at most. So she watches these shows, yet has no true clue what the surgery entails...

Awesome! Congrats! Drink up those calories ... for now...